Billiard-bridge.



BILLIARD BRIDGE.

APPLICATION IILED APBVB, 1910. v

Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

ilMlql/ENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB N. MCINTIRE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE BRUNSWIGK -BALKE-COLLENDER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BILLIARD-BRIDGE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 23 1910,

Application filed April 6, 1910. Serial No. 553,881.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JACOB N. MoINTIRE, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of New York, in the county of New York and State ofNew York, (whose postofiice address is No. 1409 Prospect avenue, Bronxborough, New York city, New York,) have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Billiard-Bridges, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forminga partthereof.

My invention relates to bridges, used on a pool or billiard table, toenable the player to get a rest for the playing end portion of his cuewhen, on account of other balls, besides the cue-ball, being in the way,he cannot use his left hand, as usual, to make abridge.

It has for its object to provide for use a simple, durable, andeflicient metallic attachment device for the ordinary wooden bridgewhich, when permanently applied to any bridge may be set or adjusted,relatively thereto, so as to afford two additional rests for the one;one of greater elevation than any one of the notch-rests of the bridgeblock; and another in a location forward of, or in advance of, thebridge block. And to this end and object my invention may be said toconsist in the novel construction of bridge attachment which will befound herein described, and which will be most particularly pointed outin the claims of this specification.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use the bridge attachmentmade the subject of my invention, I will now proceed to fully describethe construction and operation thereof, referring by reference lettersto the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, and inwhich I have shown my invention carried out in that precise form ofdevice in which I have, so far, successfully practiced it; though, ofcourse, some variations in the details, and mere modifications of thestructure shown may be adopted, without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a back view of an ordinary bridge set in theusual position on the table for use, and provided with my improvedmetallic attachment device, set in a position, or condition of disuse.Fig. 2 is a similar view; but with the attachment device turned up intoor set in a position to utilize it for affording, at its upper end, arest for the cue, at a higher elevation than can be accorded it by anyone of the notches in the bridge block. Fig. 3 is a side view of thedevice with its adjustable parts set in the position illustrated in theback view at Fig. .2. Fig. 4 is a perspective viewfrom a rear point ofsightwith the attachment device adjusted so as to afford a rest for thecue materially in ad vance of that accorded either by the bridge block,or by the attachment device, when the latter is set in the position seenat Figs. 2 and 3. And Fig. 5 is a detailhorizontal, cross sectionalview, on a somewhat enlarged scale, taken in a plane indicated by thedotted line ww at Fig. 2; to show, particularly, the means employed forimpositively locking, in either of its two positions, the root end ofthe vibratory cue-rest arms of the metallic attachment; and for,likewise, securing in its closed-down or folded condition the vibratoryend of the extension arm of saidattachment. And, at Fig. 1, the dottedcircle indicates, in vertical cross-section, a billiard cue, resting inthe top notch of the bridge block, as usual; while at Fig. 3 I haveshown, in side View, the cue supported, at a higher elevation by theturnedup metallic arm of the attachment deviceadjusted to its verticalposition-and at Fig. 4 the one is shown resting on the concavedend-portion of the for wardly adjusted arm of the metallic device.

At Fig. 3 I have illustrated how the pool player can easily get at thecue-ball, when there happens to be located some pool ball intermediatelyof it and the forward side of the bridge block; while at Fig. 4 is illustrated how the player may reach and play the cue-ball when there are (inthe way), between it and the bridge block, a plurality of pool balls.

In the several figures the same part will be found always designated bythe same letter of reference.

A, is the bridge block and B, its handle, both made and combined in theusual manner. And I may remark, imprimc's, that my invention relates toan attachment-device designed for and adapted to be applied to, theordinary billiard bridge already in use; though, of course, it may beequally well applied to such bridges in the course of their manufacture;to be supplied to billiard and pool table keepers.

My improved attachment device conslsts of the metallic parts shown, madeand com bined into an operative organism, and adapted to be permanentlycombined, as such, with the usual bridge, preferably, in the manner inwhich I have shown it attached to the bridge; and to operate inconjunction therewith as I will now explain.

C, is a hub-like part, the tubular portion 6 of which surrounds that endportion of the bridge handle B which extends rearwardly from the blockA; and the flangelike part cl, of which is securely fastened to the rearsurface of the block B, in the case shown, by a series of wood screws 7.And on the tubular part c, is mounted, to turn freely thereon, theencircling tubular portion 9, (or the hub) of an arm H, which is adaptedto be adjusted to, and to be impositively locked in, the, approximately,horizontal position seen at Fig. l, in a state of disuse; and which canbe turned up into the vertical position seen at Fig. 3 for useas and fora purpose to be presently explained,and to be, impositively, locked alsoin this position, for use.

I, is an arm which, at its base, is pivotally attached, through themedium of its ear pieces, 1'; the similar, perforated, ears Z, of thearm H, and the pivotal rivets m m to the free end of arm H; which arm I,as shown, has its free end formed so that when the arm is adjusted tothe position seen at Fig. at, it affords a proper rest on which theplayers cue may be supported, and by which it will be guidedlongitudinally in playing a stroke.

The means shown, for impositively locking the arm H, in each of its twopositions (the one for disuse seen at Fig. 1, and the one for use seenin the other figures) consists of two circular indentures, or recessesr, and 8, formed in the flange-like portion (Z, of the part O; and ateat, or male member t, of the arm H, to engage said indentures (seeparticularly Fig. 5) when the said arm H is in either its vertical orhorizontal position, in each of which the said teat or male member t ofthe locking mechanism, registers with' one of the said depressions orindentures '1', 3. And this teat t, it will be seen (which is preferablyformed integral with the stock of the arm H) is part of an integralspring tongue o of the said arm that possesses sufficient resiliency toenforce an engagement of its teat t with either indenture 1", s withwhich the teat may come into register and hold the parts in engagement,or interlocked, against casual disengagement, while at the same timethey can be disengaged, or unlocked by hand with the application ofmoderate muscular power, whenever the user of the bridge may desire toturn, or adjust the arm into either one of its two designed positions.

To avoid the possibility of the arm H getting vibrated below the normalposition seen at Fig. l (by reason of the bridge being carelessly throwndown on the floor) I provide the stop '10, as shown. On the baseendportion of the arm H are two spring catcharms, or lingers 0p (seeFig. that are preferably formed integrally and which, project out fromthe face of the arm, approximately at right angles, and Whenever thefree end of the arm I shall be turned down into close proximity to armI-l, as seen at Figs. 1, 2 and 3, these spring fingers will click orspring embracingly over the free end of arm I and lock it in therelative position to the arm H illustrated at Figs. 1, 2 and 3. But thismeans, for thus locking the arm I in such positions, .While it is quitecapable of preventing any casual disengagement of the locked-togetherparts during either the use of the attachment in the position shown atFigs. 2 and 3, or during the shifting of the parts from this po sitionto that in which they are shown at Fig. 1, readily permits the unlockingof the parts, by the application of a moderate amount of muscular power,whenever the player may desire to adjust the arm I from the position inwhich it is seen at Figs. 2 and 3, to that in which it is shown at Fig.4;.

It will be seen that by the use of my invention the bridge is madecapable of use by the player to effectually get at the cueball, whenthere are pool balls located on the table at a point or pointsintermediate of the cue-ball and that at which, alone, the bridge blockcan be placed on the playing surface of the table. And it will bereadily understood by both maker and users of bridges that my improvedbridge attachment meets all the requirements for the designed purposesof any such bridge attachment; is exceedingly simple; durable, and notliable to get out of order (during the rough usage to which bridges areusually subjected in pool rooms) while at the same time it can be verycheaply manufactured, and sold at small cost to the purchasing public.

Having now so fully described my inproved bridge attachment that thoseskilled in the art can readily make and use it, what I claim therein asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a bridge attachmentof the type disclosed, the combination, with the hub-like device 0,which is adapted to encircle the bridge handle and to be permanentlysecured to the bridge block, of the arm H, having a hub-like membermounted, to turn, on the tubular part of the device O; and means forimpositively locking said arm to the said device, in either a positionof disuse, or in one in which the free end of said arm affords a higherrest for the cue than can be obtained on the bridge block; allsubstantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. In a bridge attachment of the type disclosed, the combination, withthe arm H, which moves in a plane parallel With that in which lies thebrldge block, of an arm I,

pivotally connected to the free end of said 1 arm H, and which may beturned into a position to afiord an advanced rest for the cue, and alsointo a position of disuse; and means for impositively locking the saidarm I to the arm H, in the latter position; all substantially as setforth.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of January,1910.

J. N. MoINTIRE.

In the presence of EDWARD F. BAYER, H. H. MOKANE.

